Plans for future, possibly orbital, spaceships has led Virgin Galactic to increase the size of the SS2â€™s carrier aircraft, White Knight 2 (WK2), which had been described as having the wingspan of a Boeing 737, but will now be the size of a 757.

Rutan has no experience in building heavy aircraft. If Branson were to buy an, AN-225 as has been suggested, it could be used as a transport when not in service as a first stage, leaving Rutan to build a HOTOL or MAKS craft that is more compact and more do-able.

Rutan's VLA is going to be of much less all-round utility than AN-225.

From things I've read it seems Rutan is focused on (among other things I am sure) safety. This leads me to the question of the safety record of the AN-225. Is this a clearly known factor? The airliner industry created by the former USSR has a reputation of producing/operating aircraft to a safety standard significanly below that of the west (and for operating western aircraft when competing in western markets). Has this changed in the last few years? Is the AN-225 an exception to this? If so, why is that so?

AN-225 has flown many miles and has moved many tons of equipment over the years.

On the other hand, Rutan's craft get their performance from being built near the point of structural failure, as evidenced in the fragile nature of Voyager that had to be built like an egg-shell to get better mileage.

He simply has no experience in building large, rugged aircraft--where the former Soviets built Ekranoplans almost the size of WW II destroyers.

Hey thanks for the link to the article. Every year we help our kids put together shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and it was cool to read about them being distributed to kids in the Ukraine. And 70,000 shoe boxes in one plane -- it's hard to imagine!

I suppose, with the AN-225 being one of a kind, and a money maker, they give her all of the care and maintenance needed to keep it a healthy, happy and safe flyer.

The reason Rutan is designing a new plane may be efficiency. The Antonov is designed to be a transport plane- If you look at the White Night, its a high-altitude glider with jets. I'll bet it costs a lot more to operate the Antonov than a huge White Night.
Additionally, they would have to make modifications to the Antonov, hire a huge ground crew, etc.
In any case, the White Night is a cooler airplane. Imagine one the size of a 757!

_________________“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous

It would give the Americans an answer to the A-380, but don't Virgin's loyalties lie with the EU?

Virgin's loyalties, like all big companies, lie with their bank balance.

I would suggest that the reason the second AN-225 is in bits is that there is no market for it, if money could be made out of flying it then it would be in the air. It is not for Virgin as a customer to fund assembly of a plane which it will have to adapt when it can build its own bespoke craft that it would have total access to.

Pride has little to do with which craft Burt Rutan will use as WK2, he (or Branson) will not wish to use a craft that he does not have complete control over for costs and schedules.

_________________A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Hi Andy,
I agree that cost and schedule has a lot to do with it but also Rutan likes being on the cutting edge hence the composite nature of his creations. I think that this is also a factor but in the main, overall control of the project is the overriding concern for Rutan and Branson.

This is also reflected in the efforts of Bigalow and Musk. All three like to do things their way with little interference or interraction with others as possible.